


madness, that's what we're made of

by doctorsong



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: 100 words, Drabble Collection, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-17
Updated: 2019-06-01
Packaged: 2019-10-30 09:41:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 2,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17826350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doctorsong/pseuds/doctorsong
Summary: Patience and love, Williams and Pond.Two Doctors, reality challenged, time altered, not a line out of place.A universe waiting, waiting, waiting. A whole family tied together, no complaints, from beginning to end.Or, random drabbles about River, the Doctor, and the Ponds.





	1. commitment

Mels Zucker didn’t do weddings, everyone knew that. She ran from them like the plague, not even attending her best friends’ one. It made Amy laugh, just how scared of commitment she was that she couldn’t even stand seeing someone else do it from afar.

Rory, on the other hand, always saw it for what it was. She had never known any different, not one person willing to stick with her from beginning to end. Mels swore she didn’t care, and oh, funny thing life was. A pyramid and collapsing reality later, Rory could finally find something to laugh about.


	2. commitment

“Once upon a time, Amelia Pond sat in silence, waiting. Just waiting.”

The fairy-tales River told the children in the Library weren’t quite such – they wouldn’t find those in the database, as hard as they looked.

“She was waiting for a promise to be delivered, and even after endless years, she never lost hope.”

Patience ran through her veins like blood.

“He kept his promise, of course, finally arriving to grab her hand and run with her.” A smile. “What she didn’t know was that her Centurion hadn’t left her side, not even once.”

Patience and love, Williams and Pond.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> English is not my native language: please bear with me.


	3. venice

They were all so young, it pained her. Small frame that had never grown a child, pale skin without a trace of future scars. And his face, this childish brand-new face, all bright eyes and flailing limbs. How could she even approach them without bursting into tears?

Manhattan felt like yesterday. Perhaps it had been.

And yet River watched them from afar, running around Venice and risking everything for what probably was the very first time. So young, so little knowledge. No clue of the way their lives would soon be turned upside down. Ruined, destroyed. Endless pain, infinite love.


	4. dear mummy

Dear Mummy,

Yesterday, I died. They needed to try, and I had misbehaved. I never thought punishment would hurt that bad. I've been shooting guns for a few years now, but they decided I should try with myself for a change.

I don’t want to die _ever again_.

Why was it so painful? I’ve been in pain before, but nothing like this. Does it get easier when you’re older? I hope so: I really don’t like it.

Love, Melody.

P.D.: I don’t have red hair like yours after that. I’m sorry. I hope you won’t be angry with me.


	5. dear melody

Dear Melody,

It’s been two weeks and the Doctor is still looking for you. He will find you, I know he will. Even if River, you, cannot tell us anything, I trust him with my life. My life: that’s you, Melody. I never even knew I was pregnant, but those two days we had made me realise the most beautiful things in the universe could never compare, would never be enough.

I miss you, and I cannot wait to hold you in my arms again. Don’t worry: it will be soon, like no time has passed. I swear.

Love, Mummy.


	6. family groupchat

_ You’ve been added to “IT’S THE PONDS, BITCHES”. _

raggedyman: amy? care to explain what is this?

thelegs: the only way I can keep track of this family

_mrsrobinson has changed their name to hellinhighheels._

hellinhighheels: He’s going to lose that phone in no time, Mummy.

thelegs: oh no don’t worry about it! future u connected it to the tardis. he won’t be having any excuses this time

hellinhighheels: If you’re so sure…

thenose: Call me if there’s an emergency.

_thenose has changed their name to roranicus._

_roranicus has silenced the groupchat._

thelegs: doctor??? u there?

hellinhighheels: I told you so.


	7. arguments

The Doctor knocks on River’s door.

She barely used her room in the TARDIS, but it is always there after any major arguments. This is one of those times. None of them remembers what was it actually about, but it ended with River slamming the door shut an hour ago, and the Doctor drowning in his own misery without daring to go to her.

No answer. He knocks again. “Are you decent?” he asks, before letting himself in anyway.

“Morally, no,” she replies, voice low. “I’m not dressed either, if that’s what you’re asking. Come in, took you long enough.”

  



	8. sunrise

The night is ending and the Doctor isn't there. Stupid man. River isn’t an idiot: she knows the thing he’s dealing with is particularly distressing.

She watches the first ray of sunshine alone. It's just a small hint of orange, but it's there. The sun is there and he is not. Oh, she's going to kill him — again.

But then he goes up to her, kissing her hair and mumbling apologies in Gallifreyan, and she doesn't have the hearts to do anything but hug him and weep. The day is only starting, but their story is drawing to an end.


	9. goodbye

“I want you to stay.”

“I already told you: one psychopath per TARDIS.” She was mad, and rightfully so. Even if she didn’t really think of him that way, the Doctor was aware it was not far from the truth.

“I don’t care,” he insisted. “Stay.”

“No.”

“River...”

“I said no.”

She finished with the console and he didn’t have to look twice to know she had landed them safely. At home? She had been pardoned. Where was she living? There was nothing he wished more than for it to be with him.

“Please?”

“Goodbye, sweetie.” River didn’t look back.


	10. hen night

“You did _what_?!”

Amy is sitting with Mels in her garden, two glasses of wine and an empty bottle between them.

“I’m _sorry_ , okay?”

“This is hilarious!” Amy’s regret is real, but Mels sees no harm in having a little fun at her expense. “You kiss people for a living, and _that’s_ how you decide to spend your last night as a free woman?”

“I’m spending my last night as a _single_ woman here, Mels. And I’m not kissing _you_ ,” Amy laughs at the disgust in her face, “so stop it.”

There is no one else she’d rather be with.


	11. ponds

They were the family who waited – who followed each other across the universe and way further. Never in order, never quite normal either: but together, no more than two steps behind the other.

They didn’t even know it, at first. None of them cared, because the universe – or the TARDIS, or the Doctor, or whatever had put them together in the first place – had known exactly what was best for all of them.

Struggles and loss and pain, none of that mattered after all. Laughter, hugs and endless songs. That was what the Ponds were made of in the end.

 


	12. forgiven

Her new body, wild and still reeling with regeneration energy, was running around Berlin like she owned it. Like she was the single owner of the entire universe and nothing could ever stop her. After all, she had managed to succeed in her sole mission, the one she had been raised to complete: the Doctor was dying.

And yet, with a few words, the whole universe just seemed to _stop_.

“Tell her what?”

He started whispering in her year, voice full of emotion. “River, you are forgiven. Always and completely forgiven.” The love was palpable.

“Well, I’m sure she knows.”


	13. nightmares

When the Doctor opens his eyes, River is moaning next to him, but it doesn’t take him long to realise something is wrong. Her eyes are tightly closed and she’s trashing around, cheeks red and tear-stained.

“It’s just a dream,” he tries saying gently, grabbing her arms to stop her from getting hurt, and shaking her gently. It doesn’t work. “River, it’s alright, you’re safe.”

He has no idea what is she even dreaming about, but it’s not difficult to imagine.

River opens her eyes, hearts beating wild and looking all around.

“Was it them?”

She nods. Every single night.


	14. three times

The humming of the TARDIS materialising wasn’t welcome this time. For anyone else that sound meant immediate saving, but for River Song it just meant the Doctor would get in her way.

“Hello, sweetie,” she greeted him with a roll of her eyes.

A soldier pointed a gun at him, scowling. Involving another person hadn't been their deal.

“Do you know this man?”

“Know him? Honey, I’ve killed him three times already.”

The Doctor raised a single eyebrow. “Three?”

“Spoilers! Now sit tight while I save all of our arses if you want to return to Darillium in one piece.”


	15. cheating time

    River misses Luna sometimes: ten years on Darillium have left her nostalgic of the life she used to live. They escape on adventures often, but it's not nearly enough for two wild souls like them.

    "You can go," the Doctor tells her, smiling softly down at her in bed.

   "I don't want to miss a second with you."

    "Tell me a date and time at Luna. I'll visit in a few years," he promises, honest as he gets.

    Is it cheating when it's against themselves? They need time, more than twenty-four flimsy ones, and they'll get it, whatever the cost. 


	16. nursery

When choosing their house, Amy and Rory hadn’t really taken into consideration a child. Now, standing in the doorway of the tiny empty room upstairs, neither of them knew quite how to feel about it.

“We could put the crib under the window, and the changing table right in the corner?”

“Amy...” he warned her. They had been arguing about it ever since River – their daughter – had left them home.

“I don’t care, Rory,” she said, jaw set and fiery eyes. “I’ll be ready for my daughter this time.” Nothing he could say would ever make Amy change her mind.


	17. warning

There are three things you need to know before you read this.

First one, you better leave this where you found it without a scratch, or I’ll kill you three times before bringing you back to life and murdering you again.

Secondly, this is my story, exactly the way I’m telling it. Whatever convoluted timeline you’re coming from, this is mine and it has all happened like this. No word out of place.

Finally, I’m most likely dead by the time you put your hands on this. It’s a shame. Would’ve loved to see your face.

Enjoy my diary… Doctor.


	18. queen

“Really, Doctor? I leave you alone for _one day_ and you manage to be crowned queen of this planet? _Queen_?”

River is more amused than annoyed, and she has every right to toy with the Doctor for a bit before bursting out laughing. It’s so typical of him at this point it’s hilarious, even if she’ll never tell.

“It wasn’t me!” he cries, waving his arms and stomping his feet. He’s adorable. “Well, it _was_ me. But not yet! Not _this_ me!”

“Well,” River says, smirking while walking closer to him, “I guess that’ll be a pleasant spoiler for me.”


	19. houdini

“I’m going to _kill_ you!”

“Again, dear? Trying to beat your own record?”

The glare River threw the Doctor’s way would have been enough to kick-start his regeneration. Trapped inside a medieval dungeon, back to back with all their extremities in chains, the chances of escaping were slim.

“I hate you.”

“No, you don’t.” She could _hear_ his smile.

“We cannot keep trusting that damned screwdriver when it doesn’t even work half of the time, Doctor! First thing we’re doing after this, is meeting Houdini.”

“ _If_ we escape.”

River sighed, struggling against the shackles. “Must it always end this way?”


	20. crying

“You’re crying.”

“No, I’m not.”

“That tear in your face might disagree, Doctor.”

“Amelia Pond, I am _not_ crying.”

“Ooooh, it’s because of River!” She laughed, poking at his arm. “RORY! River made the Doctor cry!”

Rory’s head came out from under the console. “Again?” he smirked.

“I am certainly not crying again! Not crying _at all_!”

The Ponds smiled, and the Doctor sulked. River had just left and this was nothing new.

“I’m _so_ going to tell her you’re crying because she made fun of you!”

“Again?”

“I hate you both!”

“No, you don’t!” they said with a laugh.


	21. console

"You can't sit there!" he actually squeals, slapping her thigh in order to make her stand, but River being River just laughs and mutters something under her breath that sounds suspiciously like  _ kinky _ .

"To make things clear," she starts, a twinkle in her eyes telling the Doctor he's going to regret saying anything at all, "we can have sex  _ against  _ the console, but I'm not allowed to innocently sit here while you're trying to fix her? You're doing it wrong, by the way."

"No, I'm not, and… _Rivah_!" Ears as red as his bowtie, he sighs. Yet another lesson learned.


	22. ghost

River had never seen the Doctor with that face. That hideous suit, the sideburns… The pictures didn't include the Converse, but now that she's seen them it doesn't surprise her in the slightest. He jumps at her laugh.

"What…?" He clearly thought he was alone, the darkness on the street enough to conceal any stranger walking near him. On the sky, Earth can be seen right over Luna University's building.

"Hello, sweetie."

Something's not right. His face - so young, so tired - looks like he's seen a ghost, and yet recognition is clear in his eyes.

"River," he whispers. And runs.


	23. training

Unless she can avoid it, Mels never consciously thinks about her past. And yet it comes to her in dreams more often than not, and she can't get rid of them.

Amy and Rory ask but never get an answer. They correctly assume they have to do with what came before Leadworth, but not even their wildest guesses could ever be accurate enough.

Kick, hit, shoot, kill, repeat. Water, fire, drowning, burning. Everything both fleeting and seemingly eternal.

Mels knows her dreams won't go away until she does what all that training was for: it's time to kill the Doctor.


End file.
